There's a slight nip in the air, a faint whiff of wood
smoke carried on the wind, and pumpkins are
appearing in every grocery store. Yes, it's that favorite
time of year for miniaturists when our imaginations
run wild. Halloween is coming!!!

This month's Gazette brings all the best tricks and
treats for skeletons as well as lots and lots of
Halloween eye candy! Oh, and be sure to check out
the Product Pick of the Month to see what's new for
Halloween at the Greenleaf store for your life size
house!

A quick shout out to Steve_in_PA for helping out with the Hurricane Relief Event that's
going
on over at Hobby Builders Supply. Visit the Greenleaf Blog for more details.

Every family has a few skeletons in the closet, and this
time of year, it's always fun to show them off! In my
family closet, we have Old Aunt Harriet. If the truth be
told, Aunt Harriet had a taste for wine, but no one liked
to talk about it. Of course, Aunt Harriet never admitted
to it either, but at least one family photo caught her in
the act. As long as we're exposing a family secret,
we'll also share how to make this cute Halloween
mini.

I would like to introduce you to our September Member of the Month, Kathy (Redneck Princess). Kathy has been a member of the Greenleaf forum since September 18, 2007. Happy one-year anniversary! Kathy may only be a relative newbie to our forum but she is a great person and always has something to give in the forms of advice, praise, and laughter.

FIREWOOD: You have simulated bricks in
your fireplace with bits of sandpaper or paperclay or
spackle and you even gritted your teeth and make
them look perfectly sooty with grated charcoal or black
chalk pastel, but something is still missing! Wanna
bet it's firewood? Well while you're outside scouring
the ground for bits of brroken jewelry or toys that can
be cobbled into minis, or dropped loose change to
drop into your "mini-fund" jar, wander over towards the
parks and lawns and pick up the fallen twigs. Take
them home, spray them down well with insecticide
and when the vapors dry wrap your twigs in aluminum
foil and pop them into an oven you preheated to 450 or
500 degrees and turn it off. Next morning, or when the
foil package is cool enough to hold comfortably in your
bare hand, take it out of the oven and pop it into the
freezer for a day or two. Repeat this cycle of hot and
cold at least one more time and you ought not to have
any wee beasties in your twigs. Wash them off to
remove any dirt and let them dry. Cut them into
lengths from 1/4" to 5/8" and glue them into piles or
stacks. When they're dry, seal them and put them into
your fireplace or log basket.

The Critter Corner!

We need a bigger garden!

While it may be a little cramped for space, this Glencroft garden makes a lovely place for a cat nap! Our thanks to Bookmarm (Gayle) for sharing this great picture with us. She'll be receiving a $25 gift card from Petsmart.